WIFM (What's in it for me) is an exclusive, quarterly, bilingual lifestyle magazine offering readers a balanced coverage of business, lifestyle and key happenings in Tokyo along with our own recommendations to explore new opportunities in this great city.

If you’ve ever glanced at the dishes served
up at a neighboring table and regretted
your choice, Tokyo’s restaurants have a
mouth-watering solution. Buffets may
have been around for a while, but a
number of restaurants report a newfound
enthusiasm for such recession-proof, all-youcan-
eat establishments.

“I’m not sure if buffets are more popular here in
comparison with other locations in the Far East,
but they are surely becoming more and more
trendy with the wide variety, freshness and value
for money,” said Denis Richter, executive assistant
manager for food and beverages at the Mandarin
Oriental Tokyo, in Nihombashi.

Holder of three coveted Michelin stars for three
of its restaurants, the hotel’s Ventaglio restaurant
has been serving up since 2005 a lunchtime
buffet that includes starters, soups, main courses,
a carvery and an impressive dessert selection.

“Organic seems to be the buzz word for
2010 and people really seem to be paying
attention to where the produce comes from,”
said Richter. “Another trend that we are
monitoring is that guests are once again
looking for their all-time favorites, as well as
‘comfort food’.”

Seasonal and regional cuisines keep regular
customers coming back for more but the organic
element is also proving popular elsewhere.

“Every day, our most popular dishes are brown
rice and traditional miso soup and we believe that
is because we always use organic ingredients
and natural foods,” says Mari Ishimura,
spokesperson for the Kudanshita vegetarian
restaurant Naht.

“Our buffet-style meals may not be all that
profitable for us, but our customers know they
are tasty and safe and they’re comfortable coming
to our restaurant.”

Many of the regular customers at the
restaurant, located near the Budokan in central
Tokyo, are salarymen or middle-aged people
living nearby who want to eat healthily, but can
also take advantage of fusion-style dishes that
meld Japanese tastes with cooking techniques
from France and Italy.

Restaurateurs here are inventive in coming
up with ways to stand out from the crowd,
with some specializing in buffets of only fruit
and cakes, or delicious Chinese dim sum,
while diners who have found their sea legs can
try a buffet on a boat around Tokyo Bay with
Vingt et un Cruise in Golden Week (see
Giveaway below).

Others, such as Restaurant Stockholm, offer a
taste of the cuisine that is unique to their countries.

“I don’t think that Swedish food is all that
famous, but I think that anyone who tries it will
certainly remember it,” says Hideki Takeuchi,
manager of the Akasaka restaurant, which can
trace its history back to 1971. “Perhaps Japanese
people have heard of smorgasbord and meatballs,
which we serve all year round, but we have some
excellent winter dishes—such as potato and
anchovy gratin—and crayfish is a traditional
summer meal.”

A shot of aquavit is something more of an
acquired taste, he admits.

The Mango Tree occupies a coveted spot in the
Marunouchi Building, with spectacular views
across the city, particularly at night. But a restaurant
in arguably the most competitive dining-out city in
the world doesn’t survive on its views alone.

“I think that Japanese people really are
interested in food from abroad and we find that
customers like the freedom of being able to try a
little bit of a lot of things, which is why they come
to buffets,” said Aya Tanaka. “And, of course, it’s
good for the restaurant because we can make a
lot of food at the same time, so the cost of
preparing it is lower.”

“There are a lot of Thai restaurants in Japan,
but we’re very lucky because we have a great
position, a big space and a really good
atmosphere,” said Tanaka.

And to underline just how many tastes there
are available in Japan, Isabella Sylvia emphasizes
that the all-you-can-eat buffet at Que Bom! is
reasonably priced and tastes just like the food
back home in Brazil. The restaurant, in Asakusa,
has only been open for two years but has already
attracted a loyal clientele who go back for the
barbecued chicken and black beans with pork
and sausage dishes.

“I think our secret is that we do the simple
things well and that we’re authentic,” she said.
“This is the real thing.”